. By the
time the boats had reached the shore, the women and children gradually
drew off, and I saw two bodies of savages stealing down through the
woods on either side of them. Oh, how I longed to warn them of their
peril! I would, at every risk, have shouted out, but they would not
have understood me. I remained spell-bound.

Meantime, three or four of the large canoes stole out from behind the
point, and gradually approached the doomed ship, the chiefs in them,
when they were perceived, waving their hands in token of amity to those
on board. If the party on shore observed them, I do not know; they
appeared to have no fear, no suspicion of treachery. The aim of the
cunning savages was to get them to separate from each other. The
sellers of fruit got in among them, and enticed one on one side, and one
on the other; and when this had been accomplished I saw a warrior, with
his club concealed under his cloak, glide noiselessly in and attach
himself to each of the unsuspecting white men. The large canoes, full
of warriors, had likewise been incautiously allowed to get alongside the
brig, and soon her decks were crowded with savages, making signs, and
laughing, and pretending to traffic with the crew.

On a sudden, a conch-shell was sounded by the chief. Before its hoarse
braying had died away, the deadly weapons of the savages had descended
with terrific force on the heads of the white men on the shore. Many
fell, killed at once; others attempted to run to the boats, but were
pursued and quickly dispatched. On board, the plot of the chief seemed
to be equally successful. Though some resistance was offered and
several shots were fired, all was unavailing--not a white man ultimately
escaped; and in a few minutes their bodies were brought on shore in one
of the canoes, while the others followed towing the brig, whose cable
the savages had cut, that they might the more easily plunder her.

As soon as she was brought close to the shore, a scene of havoc and
destruction commenced on board. Some climbed the masts to unrig her,
others rushed into the hold to get out the cargo, and numbers hurried to
the cabin to carry off the lighter articles which it contained.

The chief, as may be supposed, got the lion's share; and his house was
soon full of fire-arms and other weapons, and clothes, and trinkets, and
crockery, and articles of every description. He himself had come on
shore, but numbers still remained on board